Question Discussion & Solution

Right to Education Act (RTE) provided free and compulsory education to children in 2009 and enforced it as a fundamental right under Article 21-A.

Important Points The right to freedom guarantees freedom for citizens to live a life of dignity among other things. These are given in Articles 19, 20, 21A, and 22 of the Indian Constitution. 

Below are the associated articles of the Constitution under the right to freedom:

Thus, we can say that the ‘Right to Education’ was made part of the right to freedom by the 86th Constitution Amendment Act.

The correct answer is Mohan Lal Sukhadia.

Key Points

• Mohan Lal Sukhadia was an Indian politician who served as the Chief Minister of the state of Rajasthan for 17 years from 1954 to 1971.
• He is also known as "Founder of Modern Rajasthan".
• He also served as the Governor of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
• He became the Chief Minister at the age of 38 and was responsible for bringing major reforms and development in Rajasthan.

Additional Information

•  Heera Lal Devpura
  • ​Hira Lal Devpura was the Chief Minister of Rajasthan state in India from 23 February 1985 to 10 March 1985.
  • Heera Lal Devpura was the Chief Minister for only 15 days.
• Ashok Gehlot
  • ​Ashok Gehlot is an Indian politician serving as the current Chief Minister of Rajasthan.
  • He held this position from December 1998 to 2003, and from 2008 to 2013, and again from 17 December 2018.

The correct answer is directly elected by the people.

Key Points

• Panchayat Samiti:
  • Panchayat Samiti is a rural local government (panchayat) body at the intermediate tehsil (taluka/Mandal) level in India.
  • It works for the villages of the tehsil that together are called a development block.
  • The members of the Panchayat Samiti are elected directly elected by the people.
  • Panchayat Samiti is related to Article 243(c) of the Indian Constitution.
  • According to  Article 243(c) - “intermediate level” means a level between the village and district levels specified by the Governor of a State by public notification to be the intermediate level for the purposes of this Part
  • It has been said to be the "panchayat of panchayats".
  • The 73rd Amendment defines the levels of Panchayati raj institution as:
    • District (or apex) level
    • Intermediate level
    • Base level
  • The Panchayat Samiti is the link between the gram panchayat (village council) and the Zila Parishad (district board).
  • The name varies across states: Mandal Parishad in Andhra Pradesh, taluka panchayat in Gujarat, and Mandal panchayat in Karnataka.

Additional Information

• The most common departments found in a panchayat Samiti are:
  • Administration
  • Finance
  • Public works (especially water and roads)
  • Agriculture
  • Health
• Each department in a panchayat Samiti has its own officer.
• Most often these are state government employees acting as extension officers, but occasionally in more revenue-rich panchayat Samiti, they may be local employees.
• A government-appointed block development officer (BDO) is the supervisor of the extension officers and executive officer to the panchayat Samiti and becomes, in effect, its administrative chief.
• The panchayat Samiti collects all the prospective plans prepared at the Gram Panchayat level and processes them for funding and implementation by evaluating them from the angles of financial constraints, social welfare, and area development.
• It also identifies and prioritizes the issues that should be addressed at the block level.

The correct answer is ​Secularism.

Key Points

• Secularism
  • The Indian Constitution allows individuals the freedom to live by their religious beliefs and practices as they interpret these.
  • In keeping with this idea of religious freedom for all, India also adopted a strategy of separating the power of religion and the power of the State.
  • Secularism refers to this separation of religion from the State. 
  • The most important aspect of secularism is its separation of religion from state power.
  • This is important for a country to function democratically.
  • Almost all countries of the world will have more than one religious group living in them. Within these religious groups, there will most likely be one group that is in a majority.
  • If this majority religious group has access to State power, then it could quite easily use this power and financial resources to discriminate against and persecute persons of other religions.
  • This tyranny of the majority could result in discrimination, coercion, and at times even the killing of religious minorities.
  • The majority could quite easily prevent minorities from practicing their religions.
  • Any form of domination based on religion violates the rights that a democratic society guarantees to every citizen irrespective of their religion.
  • Therefore, the tyranny of the majority and the violation of Fundamental Rights that can result is one reason why it is important to separate the State and religion in democratic societies.
  • Another reason that it is important to separate religion from the State in democratic societies is that we also need to protect the freedom of individuals to exit from their religion, embrace another religion or have the freedom to interpret religious teachings differently.

The correct answer is option 2.

Key Points

• Rajya Sabha is authorized to do the following
  • It can authorize the parliament to make a law on a subject enumerated in the state list (Art.249).
  • It can authorize the parliament to create a new India service common to both the Centre and the State (Art.312).